New Lentil Being Readied for Market

"Essex," a new lentil
variety developed by Agricultural Research
Service (ARS) scientists, has a lot to offer: high seed yields for growers,
nitrogen-fixing bacteria for wheat crops, and a tasty source of protein for
consumers to add to soups, salads and other fare.

Essex was chosen for public release based on its outstanding performance in
advanced yield trials conducted over the past couple of years in Washington
State, Idaho, North Dakota and Montana. In 2008, the four states combined
produced an estimated $87 million worth of lentils, about 78 percent of which
was exported.

During trials, Essex averaged 1,220 pounds of seed per acre, which is 21
percent more than Eston and 22 percent more than Athena, two leading commercial
varieties that the researchers used for comparison. Plants of Essex matured at
about the same time as Eston and produced small seeds with yellow interiors and
green coats. Besides protein levels of 20 to 30 percent by dry weight, the
seeds are high in fiber, minerals and vitamins.

Essex also enjoys a symbiotic relationship with beneficial soil
microbes-specifically, root-colonizing Rhizobium bacteria, whose ability
to take nitrogen from the atmosphere and turn it into a form plants can use for
growth helps naturally replenish the soil's fertility for subsequent crops of
wheat and other grains. Other benefits of using lentils as a rotation crop in
small-grain cultivation systems include reduced soil erosion, improved weed
control and reduced disease severity and incidence.

Derived from conventional breeding, Essex is intended for production in the
Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains, with primary markets in Mexico and other
Latin American nations anticipated.